NFC Notes: Bears, Lions, Packers

Bears

• New Colts QB Nick Foles will earn $2.5 million in 2022. The Bears will also receive a $1M credit at the end of the season for Foles’ $1 million in guaranteed salary. Foles’ dead cap in Chicago for 2022 is reduced to $6.67 million. (Brad Spielberger)
• Bears TE Cole Kmet said Justin Fields has shown a lot of confidence and initiative this offseason: “Man, he’s confident. He’s confident coming in … confident in the huddle, in his calls. Taking initiative with everybody. It’s been fun.” (Kevin Fishbain)
• Bears CB Jaylon Johnson was working with the second string at one point during OTAs. He’s expected to be the team’s No. 1 corner but new HC Matt Eberflus said not to read too much into things. (Dan Wiederer)
• Added Eberflus: “I like what I see. He’s moving around really good. His change of direction is nice. He’s got really good hands. He’s got good size. So now, we’re just really looking at his coverage ability and it’s in a really good spot.”

Lions

• The Athletic’s Chris Burke notes Lions CB Jeff Okudah looks like he’s on track to be ready for the start of training camp after spending this offseason rehabbing a torn Achilles. However, he adds it still wouldn’t be surprising to see the team take it slow with him. 
• Burke adds there’s not as much word on the progress of DE Romeo Okwara, who tore his Achilles a few weeks after Okudah. 
• At safety, Burke says Tracy Walker is a lock to start and after that it’s a wide-open battle for the other starting job and roles between free-agent addition DeShon Elliott, third-round rookie Kerby Joseph, veteran Will Harris, 2021 waiver claim Brady Breeze and special teams standout C.J. Moore. 

Packers

When asked about the Packers re-signing Aaron Rodgers, QB Jordan Love responded that the veteran quarterback deserved his extension. 

“Obviously, the dude deserves it [with] what he’s done the last two years,” Love said, via Nicole Manner of Fox 11. “But personally for me, it just means that I’m about to be a backup again — for this year. And that’s all I can control right now. So I was happy for Aaron, but at the same time it’s like, ‘ah.’ You know?”

Love added that he’s not changing his approach this offseason. 

“[I]t was kind of the same because you didn’t know what was going to happen,” Love said. “And now that he’s signed, he’s back, I don’t think it changes anything for me. Like I said, I’m still here. I’m still going to do my job and I’m competing to try to be that guy if he wasn’t here, if he is here. So, he’s not here right now, so I’m the one getting all the 1s reps. So I look at it as I’m the guy right now.”